


It Was Only The Beginning

by hislightherdarkness



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Let's be honest here Colin Hanks is a massive babe, Mostly through Alex's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:40:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29232420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hislightherdarkness/pseuds/hislightherdarkness
Summary: I have recently got into the Alex and Bethany train, and I am ready to ride it. This is through the pov of Alex as he learns to understand his feelings for Bethany.
Relationships: Alex Vreeke/Bethany Walker
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	It Was Only The Beginning

_It was fond remembrance._

Leaving them behind was bittersweet. The moment they won the game, he knew it would be goodbye, that the chances of seeing them again were slim. As he starts to disappear, he looks to Bethany, the soft way she spoke his name, he’d never forget it. Would he return in their time and be the sixteen year old he had been when he entered, or would he be older? Would his father want him back? He finds bittersweet comfort in Bethany’s eyes, in her broken smile, the little things he was sure he’d recognize anywhere.

When he returns back to his time, he sits there in shock, disbelieving he is back where he was. Without a second thought, he flies down the stairs, rushes to his father’s arms, crying and says he missed him so much.

“I was gone for fifteen minutes, Alex,” his dad with a lightness in his voice, but still hugs his son.

“It seems like a lifetime,” Alex muffles against his dad’s shoulder. They stand there hugging, and Alex learned to never take that for granted again. Throughout his life, he’d get emotional thinking about a life without his father, the alternate life where his father was a bitter, sad and alone old man, and goes to hug him. Mr. Vreeke has learned to ask no questions, because the answer was always the same, “I just feel like hugging you.”

Alex throws the game down the sewer drain, watching as the water envelope it. The one thing he could allow himself to say the game gave him, he looks at his life with new and older eyes. He appreciates everything better now; showers, bug spray, school, his friends. The friends from 1996 notice a change in him, but welcome it. Alex feels a twinge of pain when he thinks of his team, the ones he fought with, the ones who saved him. Spencer, Martha, Fridge, and Bethany.

It wasn’t love, that was far from his mind. He knows they aren’t real, at least not yet. He wonders if they will have ever play the game now, now that history has been changed. On one hand, he hopes they never do, let them never have to suffer as he did, but then he hopes that they did, so when the time comes, he will reunite with them, know them, as they truly are.

Out of them all, Bethany stays in his mind. After twenty years of being trapped there, she was the first person he connected to, the first person to really hear him and understand him. She then amazed him when she sacrificed a life for him, gave him a chance, he owes everything to her. And so he lives for her.

_It was thankfulness._

He graduates, goes to college, sees the world that he had never been able to see before and it’s all so beautiful. He visits his father every holiday, talks to him about everything. Almost everything. Nightmares haunted him some time after the events of the game, it took him years to overcome his irrational fear of mosquitos, but he knows he will be ready. He takes the risks, rock climbs, hikes, camps, to prevent from being rusty, to help remain close to his team spiritually.

It’s years before he starts to slow, before he realizes he wants a normal life. When he returns home, he meets a pretty waitress with copper hair and hazel eyes. Of all the things the jungle ever taught him, it didn’t quite prepare him for romance. But somehow he manages. He remembers his talks with Bethany, he learned a little insight of what women would want and he finds that her words help encourage him through this next level. Andrea was his first love, she was funny, brilliant, kind. They tease each other by calling the other by names that they secretly hate being called, him Alexander, she Andy, but it doesn’t sound too awful when the other person says it. She was the first serious relationship he had, the first he had gone to bed with and the first he had imagined having a family with. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. So he gets down on one knee after three years of dating and asks her the most important question.

The wedding was small but beautiful, typical church wedding with both families, friends and happiness. It was perfect, well, almost perfect. He can’t help but to wish that his team were here, to let them see what they gave him. What Bethany gave him.

_It was gratefulness._

He couldn’t tell Andrea everything, no one but his team could understand what it felt like being trapped in Jumanji, but he tries. She is there comforting him after a nightmare, and in a soft and kind voice wonders who Bethany is. Even in his dreams, he thinks of her, speaks her name. He tells himself it’s because she saved his life, because she reached out for him, but he doesn’t know then. He tells Andrea that as a kid he fell into a troubling time, something he nearly died from, something he wouldn’t talk about. But he talks about Bethany, the girl who saved his life, the girl who when he first met was self-absorbed, your typical popular girl. But they had bonded and thanks to her, he managed to turn his life around.

“Then I am grateful too,” Andrea says, curling closer to him. “Because she gave me you.”

Grateful, that is the word Alex thinks when his mind wonders to Bethany. Bethany. It was so easy to talk to her, and sometimes, he wishes he was able to talk to her now. Not just about Jumanji, but of how his life was going, of his struggles, his dreams.

He falls to his knees and cries tears of joy when Andrea tells him she is pregnant. He’s going to be a father, he’s going to have a family. It hits him so hard that he almost didn’t have this, that he would never have been able to repair his relationship with his father, never seen the world, never fell in love, without Bethany.

It’s Andrea who suggests Bethany for a name. Though she would never have met her, Andrea wanted to be able to thank her in some small way, and somehow, the universe will let her know. Kissing his daughter’s warm fuzzy head, he whispers Bethany’s name and feels gratefulness.

_It was familiarity._

He is given five wonderful years with Andrea, and from that came Beth, a daughter who was the sweetest girl and another baby on the way. But Andrea was not well. She didn’t seem to recover fully after giving birth to Beth, but the doctors didn’t seem too worried so it didn’t seem wrong to try for another a few years later. While pregnant with their second, her health seemed to be slowly deteriorating, something worse than when she was pregnant with Beth. Alex’s blood ran cold when he came home with Beth and finds Andrea, unconscious on the floor, blood running down her legs.

They are working as hard as they can, but they aren’t sure of the outcome. He is grateful now that he and Beth could see her one last time before she is gone. Their son is so small, he fears he would lose him too. He names his son Andrew, Andy for short, for Andrea. It’s awful, even worse than the twenty years stuck in Jumanji, but he knows that he is stronger than he seems. He is a fighter, and he will fight for Beth and Andy.

His dad welcomes his son back, glad to be able to help his widowed son, his two young grandchildren. Alone in his bed, Alex wonders of how would Bethany would be as a mother, he bet she would be wonderful. The pains turns to ache, and soon is able to learn to let go. It’s been a little over a year since Andrea has passed, people say it’s time and he feels for the first time they are right. He puts the ring in a ring box and tucks it away with his wedding photos, thinking fondly back on his life and feels as though he can truly move on.

It’s Christmas, and Alex at last gets his wish. Pulling up to the house, he carries on life as he would but spots four figures down the road, standing in a line, staring. His heart beats fast. As if in a movie, Alex knows who they are, like soul mates or something. The first person he notices is the short blonde and he is certain, he knows for a fact, it’s Bethany.

With Andy in tow, he goes to them, feeling like a teenager again, smiles brightly as he says, “Bethany.”

Her smile makes him feel warm, just as it did so many years ago. He lists their names, knowing them by heart. It’s real, they are real. And they know him too. It didn’t change a thing, the years, the age differences, it was there, the familiarity of friends from long ago. They are happy for him, his dad is happy, Alex has a family.

“My daughter’s name is Bethany. We named her after the girl who saved my life.”

Her smiles makes it worth it, and he thinks back on what Andrea said, that the universe will somehow let her know of their gratitude, of her good deed.

“So stoked.”

_It was friendship._

The New Year comes and Alex feels as though life is able to continue again. Having found his team, he wouldn’t lose them again, and so, as weird as it might have been to the outsider, they exchanged numbers, choosing to stay close, to learn each other more. Alex was careful to not let anyone know of his close friendship with the seniors, not even his father. There would just be no way he could explain his need to be near them, the kids need to never lose Alex again, the bond they have that could never break.

There was something so miraculous to Alex to see his team be well rounded individuals, to see them grow into young adults. He advised the boys on what to do when prom comes around, helps Martha to understand how to go forward with her relationship with Spencer, stands in to watch as they graduate and he sees Bethany, wearing her cap and gown, and he feels so proud of her. Her doubts, her insecurities, he watched them morph into something powerful and beautiful. He knew that she would change the world.

Of anyone, Bethany seemed to be the closest to him. They talked more outside of the group, she rambling his ear off with concerns and dreams, he bores her into telling his adult issues, but she always insists she isn’t bored. She could listen to him all day. He isn’t sure what to make of that. When she turned eighteen, he sends her flowers, red roses to be exact, and a small note that made her smile. Alex was the first person she told of her plan, her wanting to explore the world, be daring, outdoorsy. He supports her, even when her parents are uncertain, thinking she would hate it a month in her endeavor. She sees him last before getting into the car with the team who take her to the airport.

It's early in the morning, the kids are sleeping still and when he opens the door, and his heart skips a beat. The rising sun is peaking over and catches her hair just right. She looks so…sad. She bears a smile but there are tears in her eyes.

“It’s so hard to say goodbye to you.”

“I know. But it won’t be forever,” he says, comforting her, “I’m not planning on leaving town and whenever you decide to stop being a world traveler, I’ll be here. Always here.”

She steps forward to hug him, her head resting in the middle of his chest. He holds her too and closes his eyes and suddenly, he’s back in Jumanji, holding her close and feels safe and happy. It felt like forever but not long enough before they are reminded that she has a plane to catch. He watches her go, he even leaves the porch to watch as the car turns the corner and he doesn’t know why, but he is sure, she is watching him.

Two years past, he doesn’t see her. They talk once in a blue moon, he sees her adventures through Instagram, and he takes joy in knowing she is living her best life. The rest of the team he sees, and he is happy for them all, but there is an ache that feels will never be fully healed, never fully whole unless she is here. Why does it hurt so? Why is he like this?

It’s Christmas time again and he once again gets his gift. Beth answers the door and her sweet voice calls out, “Daddy, her name is Bethany too!”

Stepping in, stares at the young blonde before him, more beautiful than ever. Not a girl, he smiles to himself at the memory many years ago, woman. She is a woman. She asks him a big favor, something that he thought he’d never have to do again, go back to Jumanji. His heart races at the thought of going back, the risks involved, the echoes of fear he managed to take command, but then he looks at Bethany, her blue eyes wide with desperation, with hope. And his heart steadies. He never wanted to go back, wanted to move on and never look back, but he knows he can do it and so he agrees. There are many reasons why he agrees, he knows now what to expect, he knows that time will not pass and his children will be none the wiser, his team was in danger and most importantly, because Bethany asked him to.

It felt strange being back in Jumanji, like a habit you thought you broke but discover you hadn’t. They make it out and the first thing he checks is Bethany. She is alright, she is safe. He smiles and nods, a small gesture that she returns. When it’s over, the pair walk back together in comfortable silence.

“It’s so strange,” she begins softly, “Being back in Jumanji, it felt like we never left. Like nothing changed.” Her eyes look up at him, as if asking him to get it, to know what she means.

“Yeah, threw me off too. But, this is the real world. Some things just can’t go unchanged, unnoticed. And besides, you probably want to get back to the life you had.”

The house is lit up with Christmas lights, the sky is dark and there is something so beautiful about this, the world is quiet, as if it only belongs to them.

“Alex,” she sighs, it sounds shaky, “I want to just say it, so it can be put behind me, behind us. When we were in the game the first time, I had a huge crush on you. Like, it started off with just a simple crush, but by the end, you were all I could worry about, think of. Seeing you the first time here, in this world, it didn’t change. And these past two years, it still hasn’t changed. I-I know now for certain, that I love you. I am in love with you. And I guess, I held on to that because I think or perhaps thought, you felt the same. If I am being silly, then say it and I’ll put it behind us and remain friends. But, I wonder, was I wrong? Am I wrong?”

He stares at her stunned. Was she wrong? “No, you’re not wrong.” The words come out before he could stop them and it hits him like a truck that he should have seen coming.

_It was love._

All those years of thinking of her, hoping for her, dreaming of her, living for her, he did it because he loved her. Without thinking, he leaned down and placed a quick kiss to her lips. Looking down at her, he saw the shocked expression and wondered if he messed up. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.

Instead of running away, or stammering words of comfort, she smiles wide. Then, she carefully reached up, her hands wrapped around the back of his neck and on her tippy toes, she pulls him down for a second kiss. It was nothing like he would have ever imagined, not the fireworks everyone talks about, but the sense of feeling as though you are home. When they pull apart, the look on her face made him smile like a fool, wide and bright. She looks happy.

“You sure you aren’t disappointed? I mean, Seaplane was young and handsome, free. He’s the kind of man you should be with.”

She keeps her hands around his neck, her fingers brushing against his nape. “I am not bothered by your being older, you are still you, whether you are Seaplane or Alex. And who are you kidding? You are sexy, a grade A DILF.” The words make him blush and smile, he felt a little silly in taking pride of his looks, but then again, he wanted to be attractive to her. “And I understand any concerns you have in regards to your kids. I’ll wait, for however long it takes for you to feel comfortable with bringing me in. Just as long as I know I can be with you, the kind of man I want to be with.”

He leans forward, his forehead pressed against hers, unable to find the right words. How can he explain to her how guilty he feels for his feelings, for unknowingly loving her when he was married, for living a life without her, for not waiting for her? Instead, he enjoys the happiness he feels, the love requited at last, and so he kisses her one more time before wishing her a good night, returning back to his family.

He lays in bed, unable to sleep, a thousand thoughts and feelings run through him. Could he ask a beautiful young woman whose life was only just beginning to be tied down to him, with his readymade family, to stop her from whatever dreams she may have? What would Andrea say, what would Andrea want from him? Andrea. The next day he asks his dad to watch the kids for the day, then goes to visits her grave and stands there, waiting for the words to come to him.

“I have something to tell you and I hope you won’t be mad. But, I am in love. The worst part is, I’ve been in love with her my whole life and I didn’t know it. I never had anyone understand me in the same way as she did. She is so easy to talk to, the words just flow right out of me. It’s not that I didn’t feel the same with you, it’s just different. You are my first love, but Bethany, she is my forever love. I’ll never regret you, because you helped me to understand the tender part of me, the man who could love and be loved. You will always be the mother of my children, you will always have a place in my heart and I hope that you could perhaps understand a sliver of what I am feeling, understand why I feel this way. If there is some way I could know that you understand, that I have your blessing.”

He stands there, waiting, hoping for something. It seemed silly, but he waits. Then, suddenly, it began to snow. Looking up, he wonders if this was it. Andrea's favorite season was winter, she loved snow and this was the first snowfall for winter. A peaceful smile grows on his face as he leaves the cemetery. He rushes back, finds Bethany at her apartment and kisses her. They stumble back in her apartment, carefully removing clothes, her leading him to her bedroom where she tackles him, inciting a chuckle between them. That morning, unexpectedly but wonderfully, Alex makes love to Bethany. It’s his first time since Andrea, for Bethany, it’s her first time ever. His heart aches, thinking that she perhaps waited for him, but he couldn’t do the same for her. As they lay there, her petite body against his tall frame, wrapped together in arms and legs, he breaks the silence.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you. If I knew sooner how I felt, if I knew that you felt the same, maybe I would have…”

“Alex,” she says, rising up on her elbow to look down at him, “It’s ok, really. As much as I would have been happy to have you come back with us, to be a teenager and had you as my prom date,” this makes them chuckle, “I am also happy to know that you got your life back. You deserved to live it as you should have. You taught me to be selfless, and how could I have wished for you to not make right what went wrong? How could I have expected you to not have a life? The important thing is that you are here and I am here. It’s not game over, Alex. It’s only just beginning.”

They tell the team later that night first, making it somewhat official. Fridge, Spencer and Martha were the first on board with the idea, even teased Bethany that she could at last shut up about “thirsting” over Alex. He blushed when Bethany had to explain it to him later. They start to officially date, a few months later they are introduced to their families; Alex’s kids loved Bethany and his father was at first apprehensive, but seeing them together, he couldn’t help but to smile, to like her by the end of the night, while Bethany’s parents took some time to warm up to, uncertain why a man nearly forty was interested in a twenty year old. Alex believed that he managed to convince them of his honest intentions and he was certain that Bethany had remained stubborn as a mule when her parents argued with her. In the end, there seemed to be no bad blood between any parties and it wasn’t exactly a surprise when Alex at last proposed to Bethany.

Bethany is twenty-two while Alex is forty when they marry, and while some people had their reservations, thinking she was a gold digger, a trophy wife and he going through a midlife crisis, the marriage won’t last, the couple doesn’t let it get to them. They survived a deadly game, they were certain they could handle a few naysayers. The wedding wasn’t large, it was in the backyard of the Vreeke house, reception followed immediately after and Alex could at last, at least legally, make his team margaritas. How strange, yet wonderfully really, that a few years ago, he was wishing how they could all be together again and thinking it would never happen, and yet here they were, at his wedding, smiling, dancing and laughing. And alive.

Two years later, Alex settles Beth and Andy in bed before rejoining his wife, who has tears in her eyes, a wide smile as she hurries him over. “Come here, feel,” she drags him over to her, placing his hand on her stomach. He feels it, the first kick. Even though he had gone through it twice before, it still makes him catch his breath, make him feel giddy like a first time father. Slipping into bed, he carefully rests his head against her belly and listens to the kicks. She was right, Bethany was right.

_It was only the beginning._


End file.
